Chapter 113 'Underground Palace' Base...
What does this mean?
Seeing the meaning behind her raised eyebrow, Luo Yin explained the situation.
As expected, Team Leader Mu frowned, then seemed to revert to his previous demeanor.
He looked at her solemnly and earnestly, "Xiao Luo, Comrade Luo Yin, you can take this thing, whether you tie it around your neck or wear it on your body, don't take it off."
"I can't accept this." Luo Yin looked at the yellow thing that she was handed over, a familiar design.
Mu Chen gave a wry smile, "Keep it, just consider it a comfort to yourself."
As she spoke, she pulled out another one, "Look, I have one too!"
"Well, okay, thank you, Captain Mu!" After a moment's hesitation, Luo Yin accepted the gift.
After the two of them finished on their side, they also finished checking the situation on the other side.
The two who returned looked terrible, especially Xiao Liu, whose eyes were filled with shock after being frightened.
Upon seeing this, the crowd hurriedly asked what was going on.
Liu Cheng wiped away a bead of cold sweat. "Hey, there's no one here at all."
"Captain Huo and I went to take a look, and there really was a human-shaped stone statue hidden inside."
"What?! A human-shaped stone statue!"
"right."
"Hiss, let's go take a look."
Old Du couldn't hold back any longer; his eyes darted around as he hurried off.
Qin Chuan wasn't interested and started looking for a place to camp with Captain Feng in the surrounding area.
Luo Yin didn't go either; she stayed with the wooden team, helping out.
Soon, a series of exclamations and expressions of shock came from the other side, clearly indicating that the two old men had seen something.
Once the fire was lit and something was cooking in the pot, Luo Yin saw Old Master Chen get up.
Judging from the direction they're heading, it seems like they're going somewhere?
"Hey, old man, where are you going?"
"Hey, Xiao Luo, come here, help me up so we can go see that."
Luo Yin looked around. The sun had just set, and it wasn't completely dark yet. If she walked quickly, she could make a round trip.
But if we bring the old man along, it might take some time.
She seemed somewhat reluctant to go, so she didn't respond quickly.
"What, are you scared?"
As if understanding her concerns, Blind Chen laughed without any politeness.
"What are you talking about? I'm not scared. But it's all dark now, can you see anything, sir?"
She glanced around seriously, feigning seriousness, and said solemnly.
"Hey, you little girl, here again, huh? Grab the flashlight and let's hurry back!" The old man started walking, adding, "Hurry up, the food will be ready by the time we get back."
Luo Yin's intuition reminded her once again not to be so reckless.
Looking around, everyone was busy. They wanted to find Captain Huo or Brother Liu, but no one was there.
Gritting her teeth, she thought she shouldn't delay and should hurry back.
So he grabbed a flashlight, told the team leader, and left.
The two walked to the edge of the pool and found that it was surrounded by water, so they would have to wade across to get there.
After Luo Yin explained the situation to him, the old man nodded.
Unable to see his unwavering resolve, Luo Yin carefully led him step by step through the water, and fortunately, they reached the bottom after only a few minutes.
The familiar scene was getting closer. Should Luo Yin look down before shining the flashlight up?
Chen Dong walked very steadily, but his left hand was firmly attached to her arm.
"Alright, we're here!"
"Sir, this gap is right in front of you. Let me turn on the light for you."
Just as Luo Yin was about to aim, she heard him speak in a very cold and stern tone.
"Oh, no need."
Luo Yin was surprised, "The place I'm taking the picture from isn't in the center, so you can only see some side profiles."
Chen Dong nodded, "I know, no need for now!"
Luo Yin was puzzled, but she agreed to his choice of method.
She then quietly examined the figure in the gap and was told it really looked like a girl stuffed inside.
The stone statue still has its head, face, body, and limbs intact.
Even when viewed through the light, it is clearly a complete human figure.
Luo Yin felt uneasy again. This inexplicable phenomenon was appearing here again. Could it really not be something that had become a spirit?
"Is everything alright, old man?"
Luo Yin wanted to leave. She stamped her feet and felt that her feet were very cold.
It felt like a cold wind was constantly blowing on her from her feet to her calves!
"Wait a minute, girl, shine your flashlight this way."
"Ah, okay!"
"And this side too."
"Right rear!"
"Lower left!"
"Did you see that?!"
Old Chen pointed out several directions, and Luo Yin adjusted them accordingly.
Luo Yin's pupils began to tremble after the last sentence.
"Then, what's up there?"
Luo Yin pointed her flashlight shakily at the illusory image that appeared on the wall.
That was her shining a flashlight on the stone statue, and somehow it was magnified on the rock wall behind it.
"What is that thing?"
"Wow, what a sight!"
"Go and provide support!"
Huo Sen, who had just returned from gathering firewood with his teammates at the camp, looked up and saw a huge black shadow hovering in the sky.
Below them were two familiar figures, and Hosen's pupils trembled.
Team Leader Feng, Team Leader Mu, Qin Chuan, and the rest of the people were all horrified.
"Grandpa, why does this figure look like a human?"
Luo Yin's voice was weak. It wasn't that she was cowardly; anyone who saw a huge, coiled snake head above would faint from fright.
The reason she didn't faint was because Chen Dong was with her.
"Calm your mind, close your eyes and take a deep breath."
Luo Yin subconsciously did as he said, and her fear quickly dissipated as she closed her eyes.
Then, while adjusting my breathing, my attention was distracted again.
The initial fear I felt gradually faded away.
Then came the sound of footsteps wading through the water. "What happened? Are you alright?"
"Yeah, are you two alright? And what's that thing up there?"
Concerned voices accompanied the arrival of teammates.
At this moment, Luo Yin also felt incredibly at ease and at peace, thankful that they were there.
......
After a period of recuperation and adjustment, Bart's strength has recovered to some extent.
However, it still falls far short of the level of skill he once possessed in the White Horse Company.
However, he is quite content now, as he has received gifts from relatives, friends, and former colleagues after he finished delivering the messages.
Some are vintage wines treasured for many years, while others are fine hides from hunted animals.
Even Captain Bai Ma personally came to their home.
Seeing him recover again and successfully ride a horse, the captain was so excited that he wiped away several tears.
"Great, great, I'm so happy to see you've recovered!"
"Captain, I'm really all better."
Bart embraced him, and the two men, whose combined age was nearly a hundred, were as sincere and simple as children.
Hahaha~
"Hahahaha, that's great!"
After celebrating, the captain patted him on the shoulder with great enthusiasm and asked him about his future plans.
Looking back on those years, the two were transferred here from the army together. They thought that guarding the border would be their final destiny, but now one has retired due to injury, while the other is still rooted here.
A hint of melancholy flashed in Bart's eyes; he knew what the captain meant.
“I’m doing pretty well now. Although I can’t go back, I can walk and move around now, and I’m learning to support my family.”
"By the way, I do have an idea, but I haven't decided on it yet. I'll have to wait a bit longer before I can make a decision."
Seeing that he was keeping such a tight-lipped secret, Captain White Horse's curiosity was piqued.
"Oh, what is it?"
"Forget it, I won't ask anymore. Anyway, you're all better now. If you need anything, come find me at our usual place. As long as it doesn't violate principles or the law, I'll help you."
"Good brother!"
"Haha, good brother."
After seeing off the guests, the house was visited by two more groups of relatives and friends who came to offer their congratulations, and things gradually calmed down.
As May draws to a close, a new migration is about to begin on the grasslands.
This year's pastures are even more different, with the livestock consuming an extremely large amount of fodder.
Originally, the grain reserves and distribution were sufficient, but a few days ago, Ani took in ten sheep from a herder's flock, which greatly widened the gap.
They hadn't originally planned to buy it, but the old herdsman, a long-time neighbor, came to their door in person, saying he wanted to sell the goods and go to the city with his children.
Ani then accepted the call and told her family about it.
This incident caused quite a stir in the family. "I never thought that old man would be so bold these days; he's not planning on coming back."
For generations of herders, their home and roots are on the grasslands.
Even without a specific direction, as long as they have yurts and livestock, that's enough for them!
But now, the herders are actually abandoning their livelihood to adapt to city life, which makes the old man think a little more. The scene occasionally shifts to his younger days.
I think back to the excitement I felt when I got my first lamb.
Even now, I still feel a little excited and moved!
After finishing his meal and several sips of milk tea, Muren said, "Ani, we should build our houses on the grassland in the future. The county is too small; it can't even accommodate our horses."
"When the time comes, we'll set aside a large piece of land and build a big house for everyone in our family, one room for each person!"
As if recalling a scene, Mu Ren smiled smugly.
Ani listened with a smile, seemingly agreeing with the idea. After all, there were precedents to learn from; he wasn't planning on leaving the grasslands. Didn't he stay put when his eldest grandson got married, and even skip visiting his great-grandson for the occasion?
Even though they were in the Northeast, not too far away, he still didn't move.
Urina, standing beside him, patted his head. "That would cost so much money, bricks and materials all at once. Our yurts are much better!"
Urina still felt it was too expensive, especially since her second son seemed even more difficult to manage after going on that trip with Bart.
Although he's not as carefree as before, his heart has become much wilder.
Hearing her daughter-in-law say that, Ani felt calmer, but she did think about it seriously.
I'll find someone to ask around later; it's not like my family doesn't have the means.
After Bart had a clear understanding of the situation, he spoke up knowing exactly what everyone was thinking.
He had a keen understanding of everyone's thoughts. "Muren makes a good point. Our children are growing up and will definitely have to settle down and start their own families. When they get married and have kids, our family will grow bigger and bigger, and our few yurts won't be enough."
Upon hearing the second half of the sentence, Urina's furrowed brows slowly relaxed.
Thinking of her two unmarried children, and the little ones who would come into the world later, Urina's eyes also lit up with a smile.
"Haha, then Bart, you should go to the county and ask around. I remember a few years ago there were a number of house sites available, so now we need to find a good location."
“Yes, Mother, you’ve hit the nail on the head. When we’re going to live here, the location is very important.” Mu Ren put down his bowl and said with a knowing look, “We can’t choose a place that’s too far from the county, so it won’t be convenient to go home; nor can we choose a place that’s too close to the county, so it won’t be convenient to graze the livestock.”
Mu Ren's words were affirmed by Ani. Although the old man was getting old and had reduced his physical labor in recent years, he still came out to exercise from time to time.
Especially now that he's reached this age, one of his daily habits is to go for a stroll on the grasslands. Whether he rides a horse around a few times or just wanders around, as long as he looks at the vast blue sky, white clouds, and green grass, his mood is as good as the weather.
My mind is free of any worries or sorrows, and I am full of energy.
He looks very energetic, and he looks destined for a long life!
"Alright, in that case, Mu Ren and I will go to the county to inquire about it and make a note of it!"
"Ha ha ha ha."
After dinner, the father and son tidied up and sat down to chat.
Urina sewed and mended nearby, her skills improving, but her eyesight wasn't as sharp. Sometimes she had to ask Muren for help, but luckily the garment she was making was a fur coat, so the needle holes were too large for him.
As Urina carefully stitched the needles, she would occasionally turn the needle over to look at the wound.
A standard women's fur coat was gradually taking shape, and judging from its size and color, it was clear that it wasn't hers.
This was made by Urina for Loin. It's a pure white, long-haired rabbit pelt, but the family had been saving it for a long time, and some of it was even traded with other herders.
I wonder if she'll come back once this dress is finished?
While thinking to herself, Urina kept working, listening to their conversation, which seemed to involve the camel shop.
“Father, on this trip, Ah Ren and I discovered that many people are involved in this trade, especially in remote border areas where business is booming!”
“That’s right, that’s right. Several times I wanted to go with them. If I didn’t have to go with my father to get treatment, I would have run off long ago.” Mu Ren revealed his little secret and received a few sharp raps from Bart.
"You little rascal, you've even abandoned your father." He'd been wondering why the kid's eyes had been looking at him so strangely several times. Turns out, he was waiting for this. Luckily, the kid still had some conscience; otherwise, he wouldn't know what to do when things really came to that.
"Hehe, Dad, I'm just thinking about it, I would never do that."
Urina chuckled to herself, thinking the kid deserved to be beaten.
Ani, however, sensed something was amiss. He subconsciously looked outside, pondering the current situation, and realized that he really hadn't heard any news in a long time.
No, there are too few children in this family, especially too few school-aged children. It's like they're deaf most of the time.
In the past, when Hada and Loin were around, they would go home and tell the school about the policies and instructions, but that's no longer possible.
After thinking for a moment, the old man made a decision: "Tomorrow, Bart, you and Muren will go to the city and buy a radio."
"ah?"
"Father, do you want a radio?"
Ani nodded, "That thing can hear a lot of information, right? Let's buy that and put it at home."
Even Urina, who was doing her work, stopped what she was doing, never expecting the old man to go this far.
However, after only a moment of hesitation, Bart agreed.
Since it's what his father wants, he'll just do as he's told. "Alright, I'll go tomorrow!"
"Hehe, thanks Ani, I'll go too. Dad, I'll go with you."
Bart couldn't see the boy's excitement, but thinking about the journey he had accompanied him through treatment, Bart managed to maintain the same level of patience as Loin!
"Okay, listen to me then, don't run around!"
"I know, I know, I'm already so old."
Mu Ren responded happily, still pleased even though he was being nagged.
As night falls, the starry sky over the grassland fills the entire world, and the people in the yurts gradually stop what they are doing.
They all fell asleep, with only the chirping of insects around them.
Unbeknownst to Luo Yin, someone at home was thinking of her in her dreams. At that moment, the group successfully retreated back to the camp.
Recalling the scene just now, many people present were still in a daze.
After waiting for a while, it seemed like everyone had recovered and gradually cheered up.
"Ahem, what just happened?"
"Old Chen, don't hide it from us, we were all quite startled."
"That's right, it looks just like a giant python!"
The moment those two words were uttered, previously forgotten memories seemed to immediately resurface in the scene.
Luo Yin quickly relaxed her mind and silently recited the 24 mantras in order to gain temporary peace and stability.
It's quite effective at diverting attention and deepening one's understanding of metaphysics.
She gradually became able to listen carefully to what was to come, but then Old Chen's words sent a chill down her spine once again.
"That thing, if I'm not mistaken, is the guardian of the next underground palace."
"An underground palace?"
"Guardians?"
What's the meaning?
Besides Mr. Chen, the first to react were Mr. Du and Mr. Meng.
The two senior figures' expressions changed from surprise to stunned.
The group then realized that this matter was being kept from them.
I don't know what these three have been through, but they've kept their mouths shut tighter than anyone else, only mentioning the topic at this point.
"Hey, Elder Du, Elder Meng, Elder Chen, what's the meaning of this underground palace?"
"And what about the so-called guardians? Could those things be alive?"
These two sentences were like heavy hammer blows, landing firmly in front of everyone.
"Cough cough!"
Qin Chuan, who was drinking water, was so shocked that he choked.
I coughed several times before I finally felt better.
Luo Yin and the others next to her almost lost their balance; if they hadn't reacted in time, they would have definitely fallen and taken a nap.
Well, it's hard to say for sure.
He didn't rule out any possibility, but his words certainly concealed a host of crises.
They understood what he was saying, and then they saw that Elder Du and Elder Meng's faces immediately darkened.
"If that thing's phantom is this powerful, how big must its real body be?"
"We underestimated its changes; it looks like a fierce battle is in the works!"
Hearing the words of the two senior figures, the atmosphere in the room became heavy once again.
The danger implied between the lines, in particular, kept everyone in the room awake.
That night, neither the people on duty nor those in the tents slept well, and when they woke up the next day, they all had panda eyes.
Those who see each other can immediately understand each other's intentions.
Well, I'm having the same problem—I can't sleep either!
But there was no other way; I had to leave!
We still have to go down!
At the same time, just as the group was making their way through the crevice, an ominous tremor came from underground more than 200 kilometers to the northwest.
The initial tremors were not strong, but then the houses shook and swayed, making it difficult for people to stand.
Within half an hour, the tremors escalated to a magnitude of 6.3.
The first place where the earthquake was discovered was a village nestled against the mountains. That village was the largest in the vicinity. Fortunately, the earthquake was felt during the day, after breakfast.
Most people went to work in the fields, and a few had regained consciousness, so there were almost no casualties.
Upon receiving the news, the local county government immediately dispatched personnel to evacuate the area.
In just half a day, a report on the 6.3 magnitude earthquake was written and submitted.
On the west side, separated by the North-South River, lies the border between the Kingdom of Sindhu and the Kingdom of Yue.
This is where the effects of the earthquake were most severe.
On a border crossing, an unexpected firefight broke out, with Chinese soldiers being attacked while stationed at their posts.
Thanks to prior preparations and the impact of the earthquake at the time, there were no casualties on our side.
However, when our side retaliated, two of the opponents were hit, and they were struck by the shockwave.
He collapsed on the spot and could not get up. Then the Yue Kingdom seized the opportunity to spread malicious rumors and launch an attack.
The garrison, which noticed something amiss immediately, reported the source to their superiors.
The impending storm was palpable in the murderous glint in the eyes of every soldier.
Back to the present, the group followed and entered the crevice.
The space inside gradually changed from very small to a natural passage, and the group then explored their way down.
The deeper you go, the more you can resonate and sense certain things; Luo Yin gradually began to feel this reality.
She is now in the middle of the group, near the back.
The front and back rows were naturally controlled by skilled hands. Listening to everyone's heavy footsteps, Luo Yin's heart began to pound.
"Bang bang bang!"
"Bang bang bang!"
Even though I told myself not to be nervous or afraid, I just couldn't calm down.
In the end, Luo Yin stopped caring.
I don't know how many forks in the road I took, turning in and out.
At first, she used her brain to record, but later she simply took out paper and pen and blindly drew the route as she went in and out.
When she heard that there was a place to rest, she looked down at the paper and discovered her own scribbles.
"Oh dear, what a pity, what are all these things?"
She considered tearing it up and redrawing it, but then thought better of it and decided to start a new page instead.
Then, based on his memory, he re-drawn half of it before stopping.
Then, listening to their conversation, she became so curious that she had to put down her pen.
It turns out that their ultimate goal in venturing deep into the interior was to reach this underground palace.
She initially thought this underground palace was an undiscovered mausoleum.
At the time, she was thinking about how not to bring in professionals like Professor Xia and Professor Zhuang to guide her. She was the only one on site who had anything to do with archaeology, but she was still a novice.
But after hearing their explanation, she realized how foolish she had been.
This underground palace turned out to be their base, built deep underground in the heart of the Ailao Mountains.
Yes, it is a research base.
It is said that construction began shortly after the founding of the People's Republic of China, and the project was a renovation and improvement based on the foundation laid during the Republic of China period.
This project dates back at least several hundred years.
This is still a conservative estimate. According to them, the predecessor of 749 seems to be related to a thousand years ago, when there was some planning and setup for this place.
In 1977, they resumed new research and exploration under the direction of 749.
When Luo Yin heard this, she felt heavy-hearted and uneasy.
This incident is enough to show that there was a huge amount of involvement behind it, as well as the changes that occurred afterward.
Especially for the small team I was in, everyone's situation must have been full of hardships and dangers.
"Don't worry, everyone. We will make preparations in advance. The only goal of this trip is to bring up the data and specimens from below."
After waiting for Old Chen to finish speaking, Team Leader Feng continued to add his task.
He handed out the documents he was holding to everyone one by one.
Luo Yin then saw a familiar yet unfamiliar architectural floor plan appear before her.
She observed carefully and discovered that it was the base codenamed 'Underground Palace'.
The drawing above shows at least six layers! That's a lot! How did they manage to get all that to the bottom?
As Luo Yin watched, the people around her were also observing rapidly.
Some people first look at the exits and passages, and memorize the escape safety zones inside; others look at the markings on each floor, noting down the key points of each floor.
Meanwhile, some people were also paying attention to the special markings on the bottom layer, thinking they would find out what they meant later.
By the time everyone had seen enough, it was already evening again.
They planned to press on and drive straight to the base before resting.
There's no reason to stay outside once we've arrived, especially since it's actually safer inside than outside at this time of year.
With Captain Feng leading the way, we arrived at the base entrance smoothly in just over two hours.
Before them stood a blue stone gate.
Everyone looked around and found that the door was cleverly embedded in it, and the connection point could not be found unless you looked carefully.
Should we push this door open?
Is anyone inside?
Team Leader Feng shook his head. "We can't open it by manpower alone; there are traps here!"
He walked to a few spots nearby, and then everyone saw him press a few buttons in a row, and a loudspeaker sounded out.
Old Meng's eyes lit up, and he immediately followed suit with the next move.
They soon spotted those spots and began to ponder the mechanisms behind them.
The bluestone door slowly opened, and a stuffy, enclosed smell wafted out.
Everyone instinctively held their breath, but soon someone accidentally inhaled that breath, and soon coughing could be heard.
"Cough cough cough, cough!"
"Cough cough, oh my, this air is so old."
"Ptooey, that smells awful."
"Anyone who disagrees, stay away and wait for this anger to dissipate."
Luo Yin quickly pulled the wooden team apart, and it took a while for everyone to recover.
At this moment, everyone's eyes followed the open door and began to peer inside.
Yes, curiosity was thus sparked in everyone's minds.
But it was pitch black inside, and it was difficult to see anything with the naked eye.
Team Leader Feng, who was relatively experienced on the scene, stepped forward and said, "I'll light the torches later, and everyone will follow along one by one."
"Are there torches inside?"
"Yes, one for me and one for Captain Huo later."
These are the two lighting fixtures, one in front and one behind.
Huo Sen nodded, and soon the group saw that after Captain Feng entered, a bright light emanated from inside.
"Come in!"
As he spoke, the group stepped into the underground palace!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
